THE FIVE -BEARDED COD. 



191 



have particular cant phrafes, by which they imagine they 

 charm thefe fiflies, which they repeat in the fame manner 

 that the Sicilians do their mamaffu di pajanu^ &.c. when 

 they are in purfuit of the fvvord-fifh *, 



The T!QrJh. 



VY E have already feen the fifhes of this genus, pofleffing, 

 feme three, others two dorfal fins ; the fifli now under 

 obfervation is an inhabitant of the Orkney feas; and from 

 having only one dorfal fin, forms a clafs diftin6t from 

 both. It is called by the inhabitants of Orkney and Shet- 

 Ia7id, tulk or brifmac j and is feldom found in a lower la=. 

 titude than that of thefe iilands, where it fwarms in great 

 abundance, and is either dried or barrelled up for expor- 

 tation. 



The torlk grows commonly to the length of twenty in- 

 ches, and to the depth of four ; the head is fmall, the 

 upper jaw projefting beyond the lower, and both armed 

 with a multitude of Imall teeth. The fifh known in 

 Sweden by the fame name, is defcribed by Linmeus with 

 three dorfal fins ; that of the Orkneys, however, has only 

 one rifing about fix inches behind the fnout, and extend- 

 ing nearly to the tail j oppofite to it is the anal fin, com- 

 mencing at the anus, and reaching the fa me length ; the 



rays 



• Brit. Zool K 



